Automatic car-coupling.



H. F. WOERNLEY. AUT OMATIU GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1905- v D 1,045,489. Patented Nov. 26, 1912 1 s snrm'rssnnnti: 1,

Att'y,

IT" E8828 H. F. WOERNLEY. AUTOMATIC GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPLIG, 1905.

Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

' H. F. WOERNLEY.

AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLING. APELIOATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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Patented NOV. 26, 1912.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY WOERNLEY, 0F ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNTOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, '10 HENRY HERMAN WESTINGHOUSE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y-

AUTOMATIC CAR-QOUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

Application filed September 16, 1905. Serial No. 278,827.

Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic car coupling devices for cars or other railway vehicles, and more particularly to that type in which draw bar coupling mechanism is combined with means for coupling the air brake pipe, or other fluid pressure conduits, and electrical conductors, such as shown in prior patent to Geo. Westinghouse, No. 708747, of Sept. 9, 1902.

One of the objects of my improvement is to improve the arrangement of the electrical contact terminals with reference to the fluid pressure conduits, whereby space and material are economized and a more efficient electric coupling secured.-

Another object is to provide a hand operated device at the side of the car or upon the platform, and connections from said device to the cook or cocks of the fluid pressure conduits and to the lockrelease, of the coupler, whereby when applied to a mechanism having a pivoted or swinging draw bar, the device may be manipulated at any time to either open or close the fluid pressure conduits or to release the lock of the coupler, as desired.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a central horizontal section 'showing the two. counterpart members in con led position; Fi 2 a side elevation of t e coupler head; Fig. 3 a vertical section of end portio'fi' of a coupler head, showing in elevation the face which engages a corres onding face of a counterpart coupler head; ig. 4 a. plan view, partially in horizontal section, showing the coupler attached to a swinging draw bar, and mechanism operated from the platform, or side of the car, for opening and closing the cook in the fluid pressure conduit and for releasing the coupler and Fig. 5 a horizontal sectional view of two coupler heads in position for coupling up.

As shownin the drawings, the' coupler' head is formed of a casting 1 of the desired pipe conduit.

size and configuration having a project-ing portion 2 and a recess 3 for engaging the corresponding parts of a counterpart coupler head on an adjacent car.

Centrally arranged, transversely of the coupler, is a vertical and longitudinal plane surface through which openings are made for fluid pressure conduit and electrical connections. Above and below this plane surface are formed transverse projections or hooked portions 4 having inclined surfaces adapted to engage and interlock with corresponding portions of a counterpart coupler head, each head being provided with a pivoted latch or looking lever 5 having a cam surface for engaging a corresponding curved surface on the projecting portion 2 of the counterpart coupling head, and a spring 6 acting to force said lever into looking position.

As thus far described, the structure corre sponds substantially with thatshown in the prior patent above referred to.

Each coupler head is provided with a nozzle 10 connected with the air brake-pipe, or other fluid pressure conduit,.and communicating by a passage 11 with the open ing in the face of the coupler, in which is mounted a gasket 12 for making a tight joint.

In order to economize space. and material,

As shown in the drawings, the wires or conductors 13, in the form of a cable, enter a nozzle 14: of the coupler head and each terminates in a spring pressed plunger 15 adapted to make electrical contact with a corresponding plunger of the adjacent coupler, the plungers being arranged in an annular ring around the gasket 12 of the air Fig. 4 shows the coupler head 1 pivoted horizontally to the draw bar 17, which is connected to the housing 18 through any desired form of draft gear 34, that shown being of the ordinary spring type, the housing being carried by a bar 121, which is pivwhereby the oted at 20- to the carfraine,

track are employed.

draw bar and coupler may swing laterally upon a large radius. This construction is particularly adapted for use upon electric traction cars, such as elevated and underground roa-ds, where sharp curves in the The train pipe, or fluid pressure conduit, is provided with afiexible portion, or hose, 22 connected to the nozzle 10 of the coupler head and contains a cock 23. A lever 25 is pivotally mounted upon the swinging bar 19 and is connected at one end by a rod 21 with the locking lever 5 in the coupler head, while the other end is provided with a pin 26 adapted to work in a slot 27 of the rod. 28.

For operating the coupler and angle cock from the car platform a hand actuated lever 30 may be pivoted at 31v and connected with the angle cock by a rod 24; and with rod 28 by means of rod 29, a spring 33 being inserted between the two latter rods in order to provide an extensible and yielding connection to compensate for extreme movement of the parts.

Any desirable form of clamping device, such as a spring actuated latch or pawl 32, may be employed for holding the hand lever in any one of its positions.

When a coupling is to be made with an adjacent car, the handle is placed in the intermediate position shown" in full lines, in which the cock 23 in and the locking lever of the coupler head is held out in locking position by its spring. llhe adjacent coupler heads are then swung to the proper position and brought together by impact, so that the projecting portion 2 of each head enters the recess 3 of the other, depressing the locking levers until the hooked portions 4 pass one another, whereupon the. springs 6 force the locking levers with their cam-shaped end faces out into engagement with the corresponding curved surf ces in the notches of the coupler heads, ther by pressing the two counterpart members together with the gasket openings of the fluid pressure conduits in register and the terminal plungers of the electric conductors making contact with each other. The handle may then be thrownto the position indicated in dotted lines and marked coupled-cock open, in which the cock 23 is opened to establish communication through the air pipe. During this movement the rod 28 is moved inward but "the pin 26 merely slides in the slot 27, so that no movement is imparted to lever 25 and rod 21 connected to the locking lever 5 of the coupler head. The slot 27 in bar 28 is of suliicient length to permit the free move- 'ment of the pin 26 therein during the lateral the draw bar and coupler when the train is passing around sharp curves in the track. This slot also allows the free movement of lever 25, due to the swinging motion of the air pipe is, closed longitudinal movement of the coupler head produced by draft or butting strains in com pressing the draft gear spring lVhen it is desired to uncouple, the handle may be thrown to the position indicated in dotted lines and marked uncoupled-cock closed, in which the air pipe is closed. During the latter partof this movement of the hand lever the pin 26 engages the end of the slot 2'? in rod 28 and the lever 25 operates the rod 2l to release the locking lever 5 of the coupler head. If at any time, when the pin 26 occupies the end of the slot 27, the mechanism should be subject to a movement produced by a compression'of the draft spring or a swinging of the draw bar, or other cause, the rod sections 28 and 29 would slide upon each other and compress the spring 33, thereby compensating for all such extreme movements without injury to the connecting mechanism.

It will now be apparent that my improvement combines the advantages of being applicable to cars in which a lateral swinging movement of the draw bar is a necessity, and also that the cock in the fluid pressure conduit and the locking mechanism may be operated from the platform of the car, thereby rendering it unnecessary to go upon the track between the cars during the operation of coupling or uncoupling. It will also be obvious that a plurality of fluid pressure conduits may be coupled in like manner by merely providing additional passages and gaskets in the face of the coupler head. I

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An automatic coupling for cars comprising a casting having an opening through a face thereof for coupling a fluid pressure conduit, a gasket in said opening for making a tight joint, and a plurality of terminal contact points located in an annu lar form around the'outer side of said gasket for connecting electrical conductorsl 2. In an automatic coupling, the combination with a laterally swinging draw bar carrying a coupler head having a locking device and an opening connected to a fluid pressure conduit, of a lever pivotally mounted on the swinging bar with a connection for releasing the locking device, and manually operated means mounted on the car body for controlling communication through the conduit and having a sliding connection with said lever adapted to permit swinging movement of the draw 3.- In an automatic coupling,

bar. the combination with a housing pivoted to'the car, a

draw bar and coupler head carried by. said housing and having an opening connected to a fluid pressure conduit and a yielding draft gear interposed between the housing and draw bar, of a locking device for the a free lateral Corrections in Letters Patent No. l,045,489. I

cionttrol communication through sald eon- (111-. I

i In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY F. \VOER-NLEY. Witnesses:

R. F. EMERY, J. B. MAoDoNAno.

, y addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

, Washington, D. G. M

the ease in the Patent Ofiiee.

Herman Westinghouse, of New York, N. Y., as

Signed and sealed this 31st day of December, A. D., 1912.

lt is hereby eertified that Letters Patent No. 1,045,489, granted November 26, 1912, upon the application of Harry F. Woernley, of Allegheny Pennsylvania, for

an improvement in Automatic Car-Couplings, were erroneously issued to Henry assignee by mesne assignments,

whereas said Letters Patent should have been issued to Westinghouse Air Brake Con'epany, 0/ lttsom'glz, Pennsg oo(mitt, a corporation of Pennsylvania; as shown by V the record of assignments in this ofliee; and that the said Letters Patent should.

be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of e. o. BILLINGS,

rioting Commissioner of Patents.

Corrections in Letters Patent No. l,045,489. I

cionttrol communication through sald eon- (111-. I

i In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY F. \VOER-NLEY. Witnesses:

R. F. EMERY, J. B. MAoDoNAno.

, y addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

, Washington, D. G. M

the ease in the Patent Ofiiee.

Herman Westinghouse, of New York, N. Y., as

Signed and sealed this 31st day of December, A. D., 1912.

lt is hereby eertified that Letters Patent No. 1,045,489, granted November 26, 1912, upon the application of Harry F. Woernley, of Allegheny Pennsylvania, for

an improvement in Automatic Car-Couplings, were erroneously issued to Henry assignee by mesne assignments,

whereas said Letters Patent should have been issued to Westinghouse Air Brake Con'epany, 0/ lttsom'glz, Pennsg oo(mitt, a corporation of Pennsylvania; as shown by V the record of assignments in this ofliee; and that the said Letters Patent should.

be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of e. o. BILLINGS,

rioting Commissioner of Patents. 

